Severing device for use in bookbinding and other operations



Aug. 1, 1939. A. J. K| TCAT 2,158,035 SEVERI NG DEVICE FOR USE IN BOOKBINDING AND OTHER OPERATIONS Filed -Jan. 10,- 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I v /4 /z Q 5636. /7 a V A /a INVENTO ALFRED JAMEf KITCAT TORNEYS Aug. 1, 1939. A. J. KITCAT 2,168,035

SEVERING DEVICE FOR ESE IN BOOKBINDING AND OTHER OPERATIONS .Filed Jan. 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- Y JAMES KITCAT AITORNELKS Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEVERING DEVICE FOR USE IN BOOKBIND- ING AND OTHER OPERATIONS Application January 10, 1939, Serial No. 250,099 In Great Britain January 4, 1938 8 Claims.

This invention relates to severing devices and although intended primarily for use in bookbinding for severing a strip or tape which has been previously affixed to the back of a number of books arranged end to end, thus separating the books one from another, is applicable for use in any other analogous operation where it is desired to sever a moving article or articles at one or more points in a quick and efficient manner.

When binding books by machinery, for speed of operation it is usual to pass the books through the machine which applies the backing strip or tape, on a conveyor, the strip or tape being adhesively secured to the books in succession as they pass through the machine, the books thence passing a mechanically operated knife which severs the tape or strip which has previously connected the various books together in end to end relationship. The severing of the strip or tape has hitherto been a difficult operation, due primarily to the fact that the books were necessarily moving during the severing operation whilst the knife remained stationary and also difficulties were experienced in getting a clean cut due to the fact that the glue on the tape or strip was still in a tacky condition. It has been the practice hitherto to employ a guillotine knife which was given a pivotal motion but the speed of movement of the books was such that it was diflicult to obtain a clean out without tendency for the knife to disturb the strip or tape on the book backs.

The chief object of the invention is to evolve a severing device which will be eflicient in operation and which will overcome the difficulties hitherto experienced.

A severing device according to the invention consists of a cutting knife having means for moving it automatically into and out of contact with the strip or other material or article to be severed and means for moving said knife laterally during the severing operation. It is preferred to employ a rotary disc type of knife and either to move the knife angularly about a vertical axis during the severing operation or to move the knife laterally with a substantially parallel motion.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the severing device and its associated mechanism in its fully retracted inoperative position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of same.

Figures 3 and 4 are plan views showing the severing device in two positions, the severing device in the case of Figure 4 being fully advanced.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate constructional details.

Figures '7 and 8 illustrate the book actuated controlling device.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the deails of construction.

Throughout the views same references indicate same or like parts.

In the construction illustrated a knife I of the rotary disc type is employed arranged to revolve about .a horizontal axis. A spindle to carrying the knife revolves within bearings associated with a bearing block 2 slidably mounted upon a V slide 3 which in turn is pivotal about a vertical axis. When the cutting knife is in its fully retracted inoperative position the vertical axis about which the knife pivots and horizontal axis about which its revolves are spaced apart and this distance is preferably adjustable, thus varying the distance separating the two axes, thus in turn varying the speed and degree of lateral movement of the peripheral cutting edge of the knife to suit particular circumstances. The V slide and its associated pivot are however adjustable in order to vary the distance separating the two axes for the purpose of varying the speed of lateral movement of the knife. The knife assembly is shown in section in Figure 6. The bearing block 2 is connected by means of a connecting rod 5, the length of which is preferably adjustable, to the extremity of a crank arm 6 rigidly secured to a vertically arranged spindle 1, which spindle when rotated, causes the knife to be moved into and out of engagement with the strip or other material to be severed, through the medium of the crank arm and connecting rod. By arranging the pivotal point of the V slide at a distance from the axis of the knife, as hereinbefore referred to, the knife is moved angularly in a horizontal plane about the pivot point of the V slide, thereby giving to the periphery or cutting edge of the knife a lateral movement corresponding to or substantially corresponding to the speed of movement of the strip or other material to be severed. In this way the knife is first advanced from its fully retracted inoperative position shown in Figures 1 and 2 towards the strip or other material and is at the same time moved angularly in a horizontal plane as in Figure 3, the angular movement being continued whilst the knife is in the process of severing the strip or other moving material until the knife reaches its fully advanced position as in Figure 4, the knife being then again moved angularly in the process of moving clear of the strip after the severing operation has been completed and finally returned to its initial position.

The knife is rotated at a relatively high speed by means of an electric motor or other source of power driving the knife through the medium of a belt 8 passing over a pulley 9 associated with the knife or by means of a flexible drive or other mechanism, the knife being continuously rotated without interruption. The spindle carrying the crank arm is rotated mechanically and by means of the driving mechanism of the machine, the drive being transmitted to the spindle if desired, through the medium of a gear box.

In order that the knife shall be brought into contact with the strip or the like at the right time and at the exact point where it is desired that the strip be severed, movement of the knife towards and away from the strip is controlled automatically by the books or other articles as they pass through the machine, the arrangement being such that the knife is brought into operation by mechanism actuated by the leading edge of each book as it passes a point on the machine just prior to the point at which the severing operation takes place.

The mechanism for effecting the automatic movement of the knife consists of a rotatable member In which is free to turn about a horizontally arranged pivot point and is located just beneath the conveyor or other moving member carrying the books as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the member having a number of radially arranged plungers H lightly spring loaded, one of which is engaged by the leading edge of each book as it passes that point.

The arrangement is such that normally the books slide over the plunger or plungers with which the books come into contact without imparting any rotational movement to the rotatable plunger carrying member, the plungers being at the same time depressed, but immediately the gap separating two books lies directly above a plunger, the plunger is raised by its associated spring. In Figure 7 a book is shown advancing towards the member I!) the book coming into engagement with the plunger Ha of the plungers H. The leading edge of the book by engaging the raised plunger Ha imparts a predetermined degree of angular movement to the plunger carrying member H), the plunger Ila and its associated member being moved into the position shown in Figure 8, the succeeding plunger llb being depressed. The rotary member IE! is se cured to a spindle on the extremity of which is mounted a member l2 having inclined ratchet teeth l3 which co-operate with a further member l4 having similar teeth [5 and which is prevented from rotating but has a spring restrained movement in an axial direction. In this way, upon the member carrying the spring loaded plungers being moved angularly a corresponding angular movement will be imparted to its associated toothed member l2, that member having the same number of teeth as there are plungers, thereby causing the inclined teeth on the two co-operating members to ride up one another to an amount corresponding to the width of one tooth thereby causing the second toothed member to move axially.

Axial movement of the second toothed member causes a detent I6 to turn about its pivotal axis [6a for a purpose hereinafter described, the detent and toothed member being connected by means of a push rod H.

The spindle i carrying the rotating crank arm 6 is adapted to be driven by means of a surrounding gear ring l8, the teeth of which engage a pivotally mounted pawl l9 secured upon the spindle, the pawl falling by the action of gravity or under the action of a spring, into engagement with the teeth. The purpose of the pivoted detent I6 is to maintain the pawl I9 out of engagement with the toothed gear ring [8 until such time as it is desired that the spindle and its associated crank arm shall be rotated, and axial movement of the push rod hereinbefore referred to causes the detent to turn about its pivotal axis l6a out of contact with the pawl, thereby allowing the pawl to engage the rotating gear ring, thereby imparting a rotational movement to the spindle and its associated crank arm until such time as the pivoted detent is re-engaged with the pawl thereby causing the latter to be again lifted out of engagement with the toothed gear ring.

As it is necessary for the rotating knife to be moved into and out of engagement with the strip only when the strip connecting two books is disposed opposite the knife, only one complete rotation movement is imparted to the crank each time the member carrying the spring loaded plungers is moved angularly throughout a predetermined degree, and consequently by virtue of the fact that operation of the knife is indirectly controlled by the leading edges of the books as they pass through the machine, a correct intermittent movement is imparted to the knife, thereby preventing any possibility of the knife being incorrectly operated and coming into engagement with the book backs instead of the connecting strip.

The push rod is preferably spring loaded so that the detent is returned quickly to its operative position immediately the ratchet teeth completely override each other and resume their normal positions.

If desired, instead of the knife being moved angularly in a horizontal plane it may be given a lateral movement Without change of angle. This may be effected by arranging the knife carrying spindle in such a way that it has a pivotal connection with the connecting rod about a vertical axis, that pivotal point being so arranged that it is always disposed in front of the pivotal axis of the V slide. Angular movement of the knife carrying spindle in a horizontal plane is prevented by a suitable telescopic connecting rod, connecting the member carrying the spindle with an eccentric of suitable throw mounted upon the crank carrying spindle.

As a further alternative the knife carrying spindle may be mounted in bearings carried by a link having a parallel motion, such parallel motion being obtained by means of two gear wheels connected together by a third intermediate gear wheel, the link being pivotally mounted at its ends on two pins, each eccentrically arranged upon its associated gear wheel, one of the gear wheels carrying the pawl adapted to engage the teeth of a continuously driven gear ring coaxially arranged beneath that gear wheel, when the detent is moved clear of the pawl.

It will readily be apparent from the foregoing description that the severing device is entirely automatic in operation, movement of the knife into contact with the strip being controlled by the books themselves as they pass through the machine, and although as hereinbefore stated the device is particularly suitable for use in bookbinding for severing the strip or tape connecting adjacent books together, it may equally well be employed for other severing operations in which it is necessary to sever one or more moving members or articles in a quick and efficient manner.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for severing moving strip material or the like comprising a rotary cutting knife pivoted about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation thereof and spaced therefrom in the direction of said moving strip material, and means for moving said knife into and out of engage; ment with said strip material and for moving said knife in the direction of travel of said material when in severing engagement therewith, said means including a continuously rotating gear ring, a pawl associated with said gear ring and intermittently driven thereby, a crank arm driven by said pawl, and a connecting rod operatively connecting said crank arm with said knife.

2. A device for severing moving strip material or the like comprising a rotary cutting knife pivoted about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation thereof and spaced therefrom in the direction of said moving strip material, and means for moving said knife into and out of engagement with said strip material and for moving said knife in the direction of travel of said material when in severing engagement therewith, said means including a continuously rotating toothed gear ring, a pawl associated with said gear ring, a detent intermittently operable for drivingly engaging said pawl with the teeth of said gear ring, a crank arm drivingly connected with said pawl, and a connecting rod connecting said knife with said crank arm for movement thereby.

3. A device for automatically severing strip material or the like connecting continuously moving spaced articles comprising a rotary cutting knife pivoted about an axis normal to the axis of rotation thereof and spaced therefrom in the direction of said material, and means for moving said knife into and out of severing engagement with said strip material and for moving said knife in the direction of travel of said material when in engagement therewith, said means including a continuously rotating gear ring, a pawl associated with said gear ring, a detent normally locking said pawl from engagement with said gear ring and intermittently operable to drivingly connect said pawl with said gear ring, a crank arm driven by said pawl and a connecting rod connecting said knife with said crank arm for movement thereby, and means actuated by the moving spaced articles for intermittently actuating said detent.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, said last named means including a rotary member disposed in the path of said moving spaced articles and adapted for angular movement by said articles intermittently to actuate said detent for drivingly connecting said pawl with said gear ring to initiate said movement of said knife.

5. A device as defined in claim 3, said last named means including a rotary member disposed in the path of movement of the moving spaced articles and a plurality of spring plungers radially spaced thereon and engageable by the leading edge of each moving spaced article to impart predetermined angular movement to said rotary member for initiating movement of said knife.

6. A device as defined in claim 3, said last named means including a rotary member disposed in the path of movement of the moving spaced articles, spring plunger members radially spaced on said rotary member and engageable by the leading edges of the articles for imparting predetermined angular movement to said rotary member, a projection rotatable with said rotary member and provided with ratchet teeth, a nonrotatable member having teeth complementary with the teeth of said projection and engaged thereby, and means connecting said non-rotatable member with said detent for actuation thereof, through linear movement of said non-rotatable member upon relative movement between said ratchet teeth, to release said pawl for driving connection with said gear ring to cause operative severing movement of said knife.

'7. A device as defined in claim 3, said last named means including a rotary member having thereon radially disposed spring plunger members disposed in the path of movement of said moving spaced articles and engageable by the leading edges thereof for imparting predetermined angular movement to said rotary member, a projection rotating with said rotary member and having ratchet teeth, a non-rotatable member having ratchet teeth complementary with the teeth of said projection and movable through predetermined overriding relative movement between said teeth for actuating said detent to release said pawl for operative connection with said gear ring, and spring means associated with said detent for returning said detent to pawl locking position immediately after each release of said detent from said pawl.

8. In a severing device for moving strip material including a rotary knife operable through an advancing, severing and strip following cycle, a pawl member operable for controlling initiation of said cycle of operation, a detent normally looking said pawl out of operation, and means for intermittently releasing said detent for initiation of an operative cycle including a member rotating in response to passage of strip material thereover, a projection rotating with said member and provided with ratchet teeth, a non-rotatable member movable for releasing said detent from said pawl, said member having ratchet teeth complementary with the teeth on said projection and engaged thereby, whereby predetermined rotation of said rotary member causes release of said detent from said pawl to initiate an operative cycle of said severing device.

ALFRED JAMES KITCAT. 

